Valve coupling for container confining and dispensing fluid medium under pressure



137,417 ING Jurie 16, 1964 c. w. ZETTERSTROM 3, VALVE COUPLING FOR CONTAINER CONFINING AND DISPENS FLUID MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE Filed July 26, 1962 Fig.|

INVENTOR CHARL ES W. ZETTERSTROM ATTORNEY s 137 417 VALVE COUPLING FoR (iONTAINER CONFINING ANDPRESSEIIQSEPENSING FLUID MEDIUM UNDER Charles W. Zetterstrom, Nutley, NJ., assignor to,Specialties Development Corporation, Belleville, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 26, 1962, Ser. No. 212,602 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) The present invention relates to containers for confining and dispensing fluid medium under pressure, such as portable fire extinguishers, insecticide spraying apparatus and the like for outdoor use, and more particularly to an improved arrangement for coupling a discharge control valve to the outlet of the container.

Heretofore, such containers have been constructed of sheet metal; and generally included a top wall or dome formed with an opening about and/or into whichan externally and/or internally threaded ring or spud was secured by brazing or welding the same to the dome, and a valve body threadedly secured to the ring or spud;

The objections to such a valvesecuring arrangement are that a leakproof weld or brazed connection is costly and that the welded or brazed connection introduces corrosion problems which shorten the useful life of the containers. 1

Accordingly, an object of the presentinvention is to provide a valve coupling for containers which overcomes" the foregoing difliculties and objections.

Another object is to provide such a coupling which includes a minimum number of parts and requires a minimum number of machining and assembly operations.

A further object is to provide such a coupling which is simple and economical but yet forms a lasting pressure tight seal between the valve and the container.

Other and further "objects' of the invention will b obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be describedfor' will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilledfin the'art upon employment of'the invention in practice." 1

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, illustrating a 'fire extinguisher equipped with a valve coupling arrangement in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the seal forming elements of the coupling arrangement.

Referring now to the drawing in detail there is shown a fire extinguisher by way of example which generally comprises a container 10, a valve 11, a valve coupling arrangement 12, a syphon tube 14 connected to the valve inlet and extending to the bottom of the container, and a hose 15 for directing the contents of the container to the point of use. The inner end of the hose 15 is connected to the valve outlet, and the outer end of the hose is held against the side wall of the container by a clip 13.

The extinguisher shown herein is of the type adapted to be partially filled with a fluid medium such as liquid or free flowing powder which is topped off with gas under pressure adapted to effect discharge of'the fluid medium 2 through the syphon tube, the valve and the hose upon opening of the valve.

The container 10 comprises a bottom wall 16, a side wall 17,, and a one piece top wall or dome 18 permanently flxed to, the side Wall 16 and formedwith an opening 19 surrounded to an upwardly'and outwardly flared continuous annular flange or collar 20 integral with the top wall 18 and having inner and outer walls. The container is constructed of sheet metal parts formed of stainless steel for example which are welded'together in any suitable manner.

The valvell comprises a valve body 21 having an inlet 22 in communication with theupper end of the syphon I tube 14, an outlet 24 in communication with the hose 15 and a valve seat 25 between the valve inlet and outlet; a valve member 26 for the valve seat25 having a stem 27 extending outwardly of the valve body; a spring 28 for urging the valve member on its seat; and a valvestem actuating lever '29 pivotally mounted on the valve body 2 for unseating the valve member 26., v I

The valve coupling arrangement 12 includes the flange 20, an externally threaded circular portion 30 on 'the valve body provided with a downwardly facing horizontal annular zone or section 31 overlying the flange and spaced therefrom, a depending portion 32 on the valve body of smaller diameter than the circular portion v30 pro vided with a vertical annular zone or section 34'disposed within and spaced from the flange and cooperating with the horizontal section to provide a recess 35 within the flange, an annular sealing member 36 such as an O-ring in the recess and in engagement with the inner wall of the flange, and a ring 37 having an internally threaded bore 38 for cooperation with the threaded circular portion 30 and having an inwardly extending annular portion 39 below the internally threaded bore 38 underlying the circular portion 30 and being formed with a downwardly and inwardly converging annular inner wall 40 matching the flare of the outer flange wall and being in engagement with the outer flange wall and'rotatable withrespect' thereto. V, U

Thus, upon securement of thering37 on thevalve body 21 the horizontal and 'vertical annular -sections 31" and 34 and the O-ring 36 are drawn downwardly to effect compression of the '0-ring against the inner flange wall and within the recess 35 and thereby provide a gas, tight seal between the container opening 19 and the valve body 21.

In a. practical embodiment of apparatus in accordance I with the present invention the flange is at an angle of about 30 to vertical, the inner diameter of the O-ring and the diameter of the vertical annular valve body section 34 are about equal, the outer diameter of the O-ring 36 is greater than the inner diameter of the flange 20 at its upper end, the crosssectional diameter of the O-ring is greater than the height of the section 34, and the height of the flange is about double the height of the section 34, whereby the O-ring is elfectively compressed with the flange at the upper end thereof.

Preferably, the dome 18 and the flange 20 thereon are constructed of stainless steel having a thickness of about 0.040 inch whereby the flange provides a substantially rigid structure for engagement by the wall 40 of the ring 37. The valve body 21 and the ring 37 may be constructed of brass, bronze, aluminum or other suitable nonferrous alloys.

More specifically, the coupling arrangement elements may be approximately dimensioned as follows:

Opening 19, diameter: Inch At dome 18 1.437 At upper end of flange 20 1.750 Flange 20, height 0.312 Valve body 21: p

Portion 30, diameter 2.000 Portion 32: 2

Diameter 1.483 Height 0.156 O-ring 36, diameter:

Inner 1.475

Outer 1.811 Cross-section 0.168 Ring 37, inner diameter, lower end 1.593

Inconstructing the fire extinguisher shown herein the container parts are formed and are'secured together with the flange or collar 20 havinga cylindrical shape. The ring 37 is placed on the so shaped flange or collar to surround the same and with its lower edge adjacent the upper surface of the dome l8, and the flange or collar is spun outwardly to flare the same at an angle of about 30" whereby the ring 37 is locked on the flange 20 but is rotatable thereabout.

The valve and syphon tube assembly with or without the hose on the valve, is then coupled to the con-' tainer by placing the valve body portion 33 concentrically above the ring 37 and the valve portion 32 and the (Ming 36 thereon within ring 37, with valve outlet 24 in radial alignment with the hose clip 13, and manipulating the ring 37 to draw the valve body into the position as shown inFIGS. l and 2 with the annular zonefil in contact with the upper edge of the flange to prevent inward flexing of the flange 26 whereby the flange 20 is rigidly retained between the body 11 and the ring 37.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved coupling arrangement for apparatus of the class described herein which eliminates the welding or brazing of coupling elements and facilitates circumferentially positioning the valve with under pressure having a fixed one-piece top wall formed with an opening surrounded by an upwardly and outwardly flared continuous annular flange integral with said top wall and provided with inner and outer walls, a valve body having an externally threaded circular portion provided with a downwardly facing horizontal annular section overlying the upper edge of said flange and having a depending portion of smaller diameter.than

said circular portion provided with a vertical annular borefor cooperation with said threaded circular portion and having an inwardly extending annular portion below said internally threaded bore underlying said circular portion and being formed with a downwardly and inwardly converging continuous annular inner wall matching the flare of said outer flange wall and being in engagement with said outer wall of said flange and rotatable with respect thereto, whereby upon rotation of said ring for securement on'said valve body. said vertical and horizontal annular sections and said sealing member are drawn downwardly to cause the upper edge of said flange to contact said horizontal annular section and to eflect compression of said sealing member against said inner flange wall and within said recess and thereby provide a seal between said container opening and said valvefbody without inward flexing of said flange.

2. In apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flange is at an angle of about 30 to vertical, and said sealing member is an O-ring dimensioned prior to compression so that the inner diameter of said O-ring and the diameter of said vertical annular valve body section are about equal, the outer diameter of said O-ring is greater than the inner diameter of said flange at its upper end, and the cross-sectional diameter of said O-ring is greater than the height of said vertical annular valve body sec tion, whereby said O-ring is effectively compressed within said flange at the upper end thereof.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,237,773 .Gamble Aug. 21, 1917 2,924,280 Carter et a1. Feb. 9, 1960 2,950,762 Austin Aug. 30, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 822,970 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1959 

1. IN APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF A CONTAINER FOR CONFINING AND DISPENSING FLUID MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE HAVING A FIXED ONE-PIECE TOP WALL FORMED WITH AN OPENING SURROUNDED BY AN UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FLARED CONTINUOUS ANNULAR FLANGE INTEGRAL WITH SAID TOP WALL AND PROVIDED WITH INNER AND OUTER WALLS, A VALVE BODY HAVING AN EXTERNALLY THREADED CIRCULAR PORTION PROVIDED WITH A DOWNWARDLY FACING HORIZONTAL ANNULAR SECTION OVERLYING THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID FLANGE AND HAVING A DEPENDING PORTION OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID CIRCULAR PORTION PROVIDED WITH A VERTICAL ANNULAR SECTION DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FLANGE AND COOPERATING WITH SAID DOWNWARDLY FACING SECTION TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS ANNULAR RECESS WITHIN SAID FLANGE, AN ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER IN SAID RECESS AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID FLANGE, SAID VERTICAL SECTION AND SAID DOWNWARDLY FACING SECTION, AND A RING HAVING AN INTERNALLY THREADED BORE FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID THREADED CIRCULAR PORTION AND HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR PORTION BELOW SAID INTERNALLY THREADED BORE UNDERLYING SAID CIRCULAR PORTION AND BEING FORMED WITH A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY CONVERGING CONTINUOUS ANNULAR INNER WALL MATCHING THE FLARE OF SAID OUTER FLANGE WALL AND BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OUTER WALL OF SAID FLANGE AND ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, WHEREBY UPON ROTATION OF SAID RING FOR SECUREMENT ON SAID VALVE BODY SAID VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL ANNULAR SECTIONS AND SAID SEALING MEMBER ARE DRAWN DOWNWARDLY TO CAUSE THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID FLANGE TO CONTACT SAID HORIZONTAL ANNULAR SECTION AND TO EFFECT COMPRESSION OF SAID SEALING MEMBER AGAINST SAID INNER FLANGE WALL AND WITHIN SAID RECESS AND THEREBY PROVIDE A SEAL BETWEEN SAID CONTAINER OPENING AND SAID VALVE BODY WITHOUT INWARD FLEXING OF SAID FLANGE. 